U.S. 2012/13 feed grain supplies are increased slightly with higher corn production more than offsetting a reduction for sorghum. Harvested area for corn is lowered 346,000 acres, but a 1.1-bushel-per-acre increase in the estimated yield boosts production 55 million bushels. Sorghum harvested area is nearly unchanged, but a 1.3-bushel-per-acre decrease in the estimated yield lowers production 9 million bushels.
Projected corn use for 2012/13 is raised with higher expected feed and residual disappearance more than offsetting reduced prospects for exports. Feed and residual use is projected 300 million bushels higher based on September-November disappearance as indicated by December 1 stocks and on higher expected beef, pork, and poultry production. Corn exports are projected 200 million bushels lower reflecting the slow pace of sales and shipments to date and increasing pressure from larger supplies and exports for South America. Corn ending stocks are projected 44 million bushels lower at 602 million. The season-average farm price for corn is unchanged at $6.80 to $8.00 per bushel. While
stiff competition has limited U.S. corn exports, higher domestic disappearance leaves the balance sheet historically tight and is expected to support continued strong and volatile prices well into summer, particularly in the domestic cash markets.
Other 2012/13 feed grain changes this month include increases in projected sorghum, barley, and oats feed and residual disappearance as indicated by the December 1 stocks. Sorghum exports are projected 35 million bushels lower with feed and residual use projected up 50 million bushels. Oats exports are lowered 1 million bushels, based on the pace of sales and shipments to date. The seasonaverage sorghum farm price is raised 20 cents at the midpoint to $6.70 to $7.90 per bushel. The barley farm price is projected down 5 cents at the midpoint to $6.10 to $6.70 per bushel on lower reported prices for malting barley. The projected oats farm price range is narrowed 5 cents on each end of the range to $3.60 to $4.00 per bushel.
Global coarse grain supplies for 2012/13 are projected 2.9 million tons higher mostly reflecting the larger U.S. corn crop and increased corn production for South America. Paraguay corn production is raised 1.1 million tons on a higher projected yield, which is in line with historical yield and production revisions this month. Brazil corn production is raised 1.0 million tons on higher expected yields with favorable December rainfall across the southern growing areas. Argentina corn production is raised 0.5 million tons as lower harvested area is more than offset by higher expected yields. Heavy rains and flooding in November and December delayed planting and reduced area prospects. Since then,
clearing weather, the absence of threatening heat, and abundant soil moisture have set the stage for strong year-to-year yield increases, particularly in the central growing region. Partly offsetting these increases are reductions in corn output of 0.5 million tons for Russia and 0.1 million tons each for the Philippines and Serbia. Changes for Russia and Serbia reflect the latest government estimates. The smaller expected crop in the Philippines is based on the latest assessment of typhoon damage in December.
Changes to 2012/13 global coarse grain exports, in the aggregate, are small this month, but increases in 2011/12 and 2012/13 local year corn exports for South American countries have substantial implications for U.S. corn exports during the 2012/13 September-August marketing year. Exports for Argentina are raised 0.5 million tons for 2011/12 and 1.0 million tons for 2012/13. Exports for Brazil are raised 0.5 million tons for 2011/12 and 1.5 million tons for 2012/13. With the local marketing years in both of these Southern Hemisphere countries running from March through February, increases in both years weigh against U.S. export prospects for 2012/13. Similarly, in Paraguay, where the local marketing year runs from January through December, corn exports are boosted 0.6 million tons and 0.5 million tons, respectively, for 2011/12 and 2012/13, also reducing prospects for U.S. corn exports
during the current marketing year. EU-27 corn exports are also raised 0.5 million tons for 2012/13. Global corn consumption for 2012/13 is raised 5.6 million tons mostly on the increase in U.S. corn feeding this month. Consumption is raised slightly for Paraguay, but lowered slightly for Russia and Serbia. Global corn ending stocks for 2012/13 are projected 1.6 million tons lower with lower expected stocks in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. Stocks are raised for Paraguay with the larger projected crop.